During Pokémon GO’s Scattered to the Winds event, pinning eligible postcards progressed regional Vivillon medals and triggered Scatterbug encounters. The Pokémon GO team announced an increased chance of encountering Shiny Scatterbug for the event, but did not publish odds. The event ended on February 20, 2025; official sources reviewed do not establish whether Scatterbug medal encounters can currently be shiny or what the odds are.
When Scattered to the Winds ran
The worldwide event ran from February 18, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. through February 20, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. local time. It introduced Shiny Scatterbug, Shiny Spewpa, and Shiny Vivillon. The announcement described the event bonus this way: “You’ll have an increased chance to encounter Shiny Scatterbug—if you’re lucky!” It gave no numerical shiny rate, and the statement applied to the event window, not as a confirmed ongoing bonus. Pokémon GO’s event announcement
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How to earn Scatterbug encounters with postcards
- Get a Gift with a postcard. Eligible postcards are associated with Vivillon regions. To save one from a Gift, pin it before opening the Gift: Niantic’s Help Center says a postcard cannot be saved after its Gift has been opened. Niantic Help Center: How do I catch Scatterbug?
- Pin the postcard. Pinning advances the Vivillon Collector medal and the sub-medal for the postcard’s region. Not every location is a Vivillon habitat, so not all postcards contribute regional progress.
- Complete regional medal progress. Reaching the required progress triggers a Scatterbug encounter. If you leave without catching it, the Help Center says you can restart the encounter from that region’s medal page.
- Keep pinning eligible postcards. Further regional progress can earn additional encounters. The first sub-medal requires three postcards; higher ranks require more.
What postcard region changes
The postcard’s region determines which Vivillon pattern the Scatterbug can eventually become. Pokémon GO’s launch explanation listed 18 Vivillon patterns in the game at the time. The listed evolution costs are 25 Scatterbug Candy to evolve Scatterbug into Spewpa, then 100 Scatterbug Candy to evolve Spewpa into Vivillon. Pokémon GO: Vivillon takes flight
Own postcards have conflicting official daily limits
Official Pokémon GO pages describe own-Gift postcards differently: the Help Center says they count toward encounter progress only twice a day, while the Vivillon launch announcement says players can pin up to three of their own postcards daily for medal progress. Because these are different stated limits, do not assume a single universal cap; check the current in-game instructions for the applicable rule.
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- The packaging is Japanese, but item works the same as the US version.
- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
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- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
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What is—and is not—known about shiny encounters now
The postcard-and-medal route is the documented way to earn Scatterbug encounters. The reviewed official sources do not confirm whether those encounters can currently produce Shiny Scatterbug or state current odds. The 2025 announcement’s increased-chance wording is not evidence that an event boost remains active. A later 2026 Pokémon GO event announcement excluded Scatterbug, Spewpa, and Vivillon from the returning wild Pokémon it listed; that does not resolve shiny availability through medal encounters. Pokémon GO event announcements
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Other Scattered to the Winds bonuses were temporary
The event also offered 2× XP for spinning PokéStops, 5× XP for first-time PokéStop spins, the ability to open up to 40 Gifts daily—or up to 60 for players with the Eggs-pedition Access: February ticket—and an increased chance of Shiny Pidgey. These were event-period features, not current benefits.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
- There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
- Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
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Rank #3
- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
- There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
- Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
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- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
- There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
- Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
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